Compression of packets in wireless sensor networks and mobile ad-hoc networks is of great
interest because of the substantial opportunities for power and bandwidth savings. The method of
compression discussed here is protocol agnostic, meaning that it operates with any combination of
MAC, NET, TRAN, and APP layer protocols in an IEEE 802.15.4 network, while all previously devised
compression schemes for wireless sensor data have a more substantial protocol dependence and thus
require revisions as protocols are updated, or even complete replacement. Secondly, this method is
adaptive, meaning that the level of compression will vary according to the type and content of the
network traffic and is robust to changes in the network topology. This compression algorithm can
reduce data transmission by thirty to seventy-five percent in a standard wireless sensor network
depending upon the data. This reduces power by a similar figure, given that the radio consumes the
overwhelming majority of the power in a typical wireless sensor node.